The Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut announces Keith Fontaine, vice president and chief communications officer, The William W. Backus Hospital, as the 60th Annual Citizen of the Year. The news was announced at a press conference held February 26th at Backus Hospital, Norwich.

An award dinner will take place at MGM Grand at Foxwoods on May 4 to honor Keith. The public is welcome to attend.  The cost is $75 per person.  For more information please visit www.chamberect.com. Corporate sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information about sponsorships, contact the Chamber at 860.701.9113.

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The Mystic River Mudhead Sailing Association and Hospice Southeastern Connecticut are pleased to announce that the 2010 Mudhead Benefit Regatta for Hospice, taking place July 17th is certified as a Bronze Level Clean Regatta by the non-profit organization Sailors for the Sea. The Mystic River Mudhead Sailing Association pledges its commitment to clean waters and shores, and vows to fulfill and encourage others to fulfill the goals and requirements set forth by Sailors for the Sea.

The Mudhead Benefit Race is a fundraiser for Hospice Southeastern CT, a non-profit community-based organization.  Hospice Southeastern CT is a member of the National Hospice Regatta Alliance. There is no registration fee to enter the race (the after-race party at Mystic Shipyard is $20.00 per person) and all participants are encouraged to raise funds for Hospice Southeastern CT.  All donations are tax-deductible. For more information, go to www.mudhead.org.

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by Crystal Harpstreit

This January, Mystic resident, Stafford McLean, a graduate student at Quinnipiac University, traveled to Nicaragua to help raise money at two different radio stations and to learn about Nicaraguan culture. He traveled with a number of other students from Quinnipiac calling the group a “mixed bag.”

The two radio stations that Stafford and his fellow students worked at are called Radio Dario, named after Ruben Dario, a celebrated Nicaraguan poet, and Radio Amistad. “The radio station is looking to raise money for cameras and other equipment,” said Stafford of Radio Dario. This is so that its journalists can cover local events with ease. Stafford  says that currently journalists use cell phones to call back and forth to the station from the event they are covering.  Journalists and radio broadcasters are also expected to sponsor their own ads. Stafford says that Quinnipiac is, “Looking to fund some grants and to promote the well being of the two radio stations in Leon.”

The other facet of this trip was for the students to obtain knowledge about Nicaraguan culture. The Quinnipiac students were housed by local families who Stafford described as “very warm,” even noting that it is common for students to call their hosts mom and dad.  Stafford joked that his host family was a bit confused when they first met him, he calls himself “an older student” and as most families are used to housing students in their twenties, they thought that Stafford was a professor.

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High school student athletes celebrating the new ECC Website with former Boston Redsox catcher Roger Lafranois. (l-r) Dana Derrico, Woodstock Academy, Quinn Duffy, Bacon Academy, Marcel Simion, New London HS, Mike Green, Woodstock Academy, Ross Spencer, East Lyme HS, Roger Lafrancois, Andrew Hill, Bacon Academy, and Rachael Gavin, New London HS.

Several weeks ago, representatives of the Eastern Connecticut Conference (ECC) announced the creation of their new website at Norwich Free Academy. ECCToday.org, the interactive website, is designed to help raise funds for ECC Programs.

The website allows individuals to find out what is happening with any of the ECC sports. “This gives positive exposure to many of the young athletes. I think this is a good thing for everyone” says Roger LaFrancois, owner of LaFrancois Marketing Consultants and former Boston Red Sox catcher.

Visitors to the site will also be able to find tournament results, view action photography, vote for their favorite schools and sign up for a monthly e-newsletter. “We think it’s an awesome thing it is finally a way to broadcast stats and scores more globally. It gives us more opportunities as student athletes,” said Woodstock Academy student athletes Mike Green and Dana Derrico.

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